Syracuse Post-Standard

When columnist Sean Kirst announced he was leaving The Syracuse Post-Standard, there was a public outpouring of appreciation and loss. Described as the heart and soul and the face of the paper, Kirst had chronicled the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of the city and its people. On this edition of the Campbell Conversations, host Grant Reeher talks with Kirst about his decision to leave, the place of writing in his life, his future plans, the newspaper, and some pressing local issues.

The Oswego County court hearing in the 20-year old case of missing teenager Heidi Allen resumes today after a two-week break. Gary Thibodeau, who was convicted of kidnapping Allen, has always maintained his innocence. WRVO news director Catherine Loper interviewed Syracuse Post-Standard reporter John O'Brien, who has been covering the story non-stop since last May, and has been in the courtroom everyday of this hearing.

Like other newspapers, The Syracuse Post Standard has struggled in recent years, and it has made significant changes in the way it delivers the news and how it tries to interact with the public. In this edition of the Campbell Conversations, host Grant Reeher talks with Tim Kennedy, the person now in charge of navigating its course. Find out why he sees a bright future of opportunities for the Syracuse Media Group, despite the hits the company has taken.

A new era of newspaper journalism has taken hold of central New York this week. The Syracuse Post-Standard's new business model is in place, with fewer printed copies of the paper, and more emphasis on digital platforms. And there are many implications of this change to the region.

The newspaper business is changing. It has to, in a digital world where information is as close as an app on a phone, or a tap on a computer. The question is, how will newspapers make that change? The Syracuse Post-Standard, owned by Advance Newspapers, has made its move, and the change is about to occur.

In less than two weeks, the Post-Standard as central New York knows it takes a turn toward the future as it cuts back on print editions of the newspaper in favor of a digital website. The new Syracuse Media Group, which includes the reporting and sales sides of the digitally-focused business, will soon be working out of a renovated bank on South Warren Street.